1. Technical Field
The invention pertains to a latch arrangement for securing a dirt collecting receptacle in place on a vacuum cleaner.
2. Background Information
Upright vacuum cleaners are well known in the art. Typically, these upright vacuum cleaners include a vacuum cleaner housing pivotally mounted to a vacuum cleaner foot. The foot is formed with a nozzle opening and may include an agitator mounted therein for loosening dirt and debris from a floor surface. A motor may be mounted to either the foot or the housing for producing suction at the nozzle opening. The suction at the nozzle opening picks up the loosened dirt and debris and produces a stream of dirt-laden air which is ducted to the vacuum cleaner housing.
In conventional vacuum cleaners, the dirt laden air is ducted into a vacuum cleaner filter bag supported on or within the vacuum cleaner housing. However, bagless vacuum cleaners have recently become prevalent in the marketplace. These bagless vacuum cleaners duct the stream of dirt-laden air into a dirt receptacle or dirt cup having a dirt collecting system that filters the dirt particles from the air stream before exhausting the filtered air stream into the atmosphere. Various latching arrangements have been employed on these bagless vacuum cleaners to securely latch the dirt receptacle in place on the vacuum cleaner. Although these latch arrangements are adequate for the purpose for which they are intended, they are frequently cumbersome and difficult to use. There is a need in the art for a new and improved arrangement for securely latching a dirt collecting receptacle in place on a vacuum cleaner that is easy to use, securely retains the dirt cup in place on the cleaner, and effectively presses the receptacle against receptacle inlet and outlet seals on the cleaner's housing. There is also a need in the art for a vacuum cleaner dirt receptacle latching arrangement that securely retains a lid on an open top of the receptacle, as well as retaining the receptacle in place on the cleaner.